Neurodivergent Evaluation Process

• If you or your child are struggling with creating and maintaining social relationships, understanding social nuances or non verbal cues. 
• If you have specific sensory interests or avoidances or have difficulty with feeling understood by others.  
• If you have received previous mental health diagnoses, but treatment has never seemed to get to the “root” problem.  
• Other family members have been diagnosed with Autism, ADHD, or other developmental disorders.

• Adult or Child Standard Diagnostic process
• This option includes 4 appointments including a specific Autism assessment such as the MIGDAS-2 or the ADOS-2 and a final session to review diagnoses and treatment recommendations
• Child Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Evaluation (CMDE)
• This option allows for a deeper evaluation of your child’s individual experience.  It will include an Autism specific assessment, such as the MIGDAS-2 or ADOS-2, a social skills assessment, a cognitive assessment, and an adaptive assessment.  This option allows us to look deeper at treatment recommendations and collaborate with other providers in your child’s life.  

Assessments can be a combination of in person and telehealth options, but Autism specific assessments for children are required to be in person at our Northfield Wellness Center location.  

What To Expect

Standard Diagnostic Process

Our standard diagnostic process for adults involves 4 appointments with your dedicated provider. For children, the standard process involves 4 appointments with 2 providers, a primary provider and a provider that conducts the Autism specific assessment. 

All 4 appointments will be scheduled at the same time and may range from 1 hour to 90 minutes in length.  In any of these appointments, you are welcome to bring family or friends with you to provide additional information or support.  

• The first appointment will include a review of you or your child’s personal history including known developmental milestones, quality of relationships, experience at school or work, and any current concerns or symptoms. 
• The second appointment will dive deeper into you or your child’s sensory needs, social relationships, and individual interests.  
• The third appointment will include an Autism specific assessment like the Monteiro Interview Guidelines for Diagnosing the Autism Spectrum (MIGDAS-2) or the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) and last a minimum of 90 minutes.  
• Your fourth appointment will review the results of the standard assessment and provide you with some recommendations for specific support.  Our providers are holistic mental health practitioners and will assess if you meet criteria for all diagnoses in the DSM-5 TR, not just for Autism.  You may be asked about non autism specific symptoms depending on what the clinician notices in your appointments.  

Child Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Evaluation (CMDE)

This evaluation is currently only available for children, ages 18 months to 21 years and their families.  Non-verbal children are also able to be assessed in this evaluation.  This process allows the clinician to look much deeper into your child’s development and experiences.  This type of assessment will include the following: 

• a parent interview
• a child observation
• a review of medical history
• an Autism specific assessment such as the MIGDAS-2 or the ADOS-2
• a cognitive assessment called the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS-2)
• an adaptive assessment called the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (ABAS-3)
• An ADHD specific assessment such as the Vanderbilt ADHD Rating Scales (VAARDS)
• a social assessment called the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2)
• a sensory assessment called the Sensory Profile
• and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)

This evaluation will be scheduled as six 90 minute appointments, with the clinician then scheduling any necessary follow up appointments based on their review of historical documents.  In addition, the CMDE determines eligibility for Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention services. Completing a CMDE will help expedite access to EIDBI services. The Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) benefit offers medically necessary services and supports to people under the age of 21 with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or related developmental conditions.

Further information on EIDBI services may be found at this link.